1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention relates to collapsible riding companions, particularly those which collapse into a case which can be easily carried. In one embodied form, the invention is a rectangular carrying case for travelling, and in another embodied form, it is a simulated human head and torso which sits against a seatback giving the appearance that there is another person present.
2. Description of the Prior Art
One of the most serious problems in society, at this time, is violent crimes, especially those against women. For instance, there has been a 50.2% increase in the number of forcible rapes in the United States between the years 1975-1984, which includes a 6.7% increase between 1983-1984 alone.
As women have increasingly become an integral part of today's work force, more and more women are taking business trips to America's urban centers. Since these businesswomen frequently find themselves in unfamiliar surroundings, and in view of the large number of violent crimes against women, any form of criminal deterrence is a welcome comfort to the travelling businesswoman.
Figures, simulating the human body, have long been used in the prior art for display and/or as childrens' toys. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 1,525,746 relates to a mannequin with mechanically produced movement. Dolls with heads movable against gravity have been invented, U.S. Pat. No. 4,411,096 and design patents have been issued for inflatable display forms of parts of the human figure, U.S. Pat. No. Des. 256,254, U.S. Pat. No. Des. 256,255, U.S. Pat. No. Des. 256,256 and U.S. Pat. No. Des. 256,257.
Simulated human figures which, in certain configurations, may be hidden from view are also popular as childrens' toys in the prior art. For instance, dolls have been invented whose bodies may be reconfigured into another form, such as an automobile, and vice versa, U.S. Pat. No. 4,580,993, whose extremities are accommodable within a trunk, U.S. Pat. No. 4,411,097, whose extremities are movable to a hidden position within a toy jewelry item, U.S. Pat. No. 4,581,904, and whose heads can be compressed or projected into or from its rubber base, U.S. Pat. No. 1,196,649.
Also found in the prior art are containers which are used on seats. U.S. Pat. No. 3,876,247 relates to a briefcase which, when closed and rested against the back of a seat, can be used as a backrest. U.S. Pat. No. Des. 247,327 relates to an organizer file and storage unit which hangs from the back of an automobile's seat.
Accordingly, those skilled in the art have recognized the need for a criminal deterrent in the form of a simulated human head and torso which can sit in the passenger seat of a car and can also be retracted into a lightweight easy-to-carry case for travelling. The present invention fulfills these needs.